“I’m starvin’ like Marvin” (Starvin’ Marvin)
"Starvin' Marvin" is a name that rhymes, like "Stormin' Norman." "Starvin' Marvin" was used in an ad in the Hartford (CT) Courant on May 1, 1952. A…
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Rickey (Gin Rickey; Lime Rickey)
The "rickey" drink is named after Colonel Joe Rickey of Missouri (who died in New York City in 1903). The drink was first mixed by George Williamson at Shoomaker's in Washington,…
“Like Grant took Richmond”
"Like Grant took Richmond" refers to the Union forces taking Richmond, Virginia, ending the Civil War. Ulysses S. Grant was the general-in-chief of the Union Army; General Godfrey Weitzel…
Dogcatcher Elections (“Couldn’t get elected dog catcher”)
Stray dogs were a big problem in the 19th century. A city would elect a "dog catcher" (or "dogcatcher"), who would round up these dogs in a "dog wagon." (A lunch cart…
“Nothing strikes fear in a Texan like a Yankee with a U-Haul”
The saying "Nothing strikes fear in a Texans like a Yankee with a U-Haul" (that is, a Northerner who moves to the South) is cited in print from 1984-85, but probably dates to the 1970s.…
“So would hell” (rancher on being told Texas would be a great place if it had water)
"This would be a fine country if it only had water," a newcomer to Texas is alleged to have said. An old Texan giving up and heading back east replied, "So would hell!" This…
“The only thing wrong with Austin is that it’s surrounded by Texas”
The Texas capital city of Austin is more liberal than the rest of the state. "The only thing wrong with Austin is that it's surrounded by Texas" is a saying that has been frequently…
“How many Austinites does it take to change a light bulb?” (joke)
"Keep Austin Weird" is an unofficial motto of Austin, urging the city to stay true to its hippie, counterculture roots. The old "lightbulb joke" has an Austin version: Q: How…
“Hominy, sir?”/“Oh, about four or five.” (Northerner ordering grits)
A Northerner tells a waitress that he wants to order grits. "Hominy, sir?" the waitress asks. "Oh, about four or five," replies the confused customer. "Hominy" sounds…
“When Greek meets Greek, they open a restaurant”
"When Greek meets Greek, then comes the tug of war" refers to the wars of classical Greece; the saying dates to at least 1677. The Americanized version has had different endings.…
“The food is terrible—and such small portions!”
Woody Allen opened his film Annie Hall (1977) with: "There's an old joke - um... two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of 'em says, 'Boy, the food at this…
“How did you find your steak?” (joke)
"How did you find your steak, sir?" a waiter asks a customer. The waiter wants to know if the steak had been cooked to the customer's liking (How did you find your steak cooked) --…
Q: What does Dallas have that Fort Worth doesn’t? A: A nice city 30 miles away.
Dallas and Fort Worth are cities thirty miles apart. There is a rivalry and, of course, some jokes: Q: What does Dallas have that Fort Worth doesn't have?A: A nice city 30 miles away. This…
“It is not the bull side or the bear side, but the right side”
"They say there are two sides to everything. But there is only one side to the stock market; and it is not the bull side or the bear side, but the right side" appears in the book…
“Be right and sit tight” (“Buy right and sit tight”/“Buy right and hold tight”)
"Men who can both be right and sit tight are uncommon" was the wisdom of "Old Mr. Partridge" in the book Reminiscences of s Stock Operator (1923) by Edwin Lefevre. The statement…
Dallas (summary)
Are the city of Dallas and the county of Dallas named after two different people named Dallas? President James K. Polk and Vice President George Mifflin Dallas (1792-1864; a former senator from…
“The best time to invest is when you have the money”
"The best time to invest is when you have the money" is a saying often credited to Sir John Templeton (1912-2008), an American-born British stock investor. "The time to invest is…
“Moving the goal posts” (“Moving the goalposts”)
"Moving the goalposts" (or "moving the goal posts") is a sports analogy, similar to "raising the bar" or "lowering the bar." If the goalposts are moved in,…
Greedy Geezer
The term "greedy geezer" (old people who demand government entitlements) was coined in The New Republic, March 28, 1988, to describe the front-cover story, "Talkin' Bout My…
Skyscraper Sandwich
Entry in progress -- B.P. The long list of the names of sandwiches served on long rolls includes blimpie, bomber, Cuban (medianoche), Dagwood, garibaldi, gondola, grinder, hero, hoagie, Italian,…